head 70–80 %
Free: cropping, background replacement, check
14-day refund if the authority rejects the photo
SourcePublic Services Agency of the Republic of Moldova (ASP) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Verified
Quick answer: The recommended Moldova passport photo size is 35 × 45 mm. Plain light background without textures, shadows, or foreign objects. Head occupies 70–80% of photo height. Neutral expression, clear lenses only, no glare. Last verified .
Requirements
| Format | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Head height | 70–80% of photo height |
| Background | Plain light background without textures, shadows, or foreign objects. |
| Pose | Full face, head centred, no tilt or rotation. |
| Expression | Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open. |
| Glasses | Glasses are allowed only for people who wear them permanently, and only with clear lenses without flash glare. See full rules → |
| Lighting | Shadows, overexposure, and reflections not permitted. |
| Attire | White clothing against the white background is not recommended — the silhouette is lost; coloured clothing is preferable. |
| File format | JPEG · sRGB / 24-bit |
| Millimetres | 35 × 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Centimetres | 3.5 × 4.5 cm |
| Inches | 1.38 × 1.77″ |
| Pixels at 300 dpi | 413 × 531 px |
| Pixels at 600 dpi | 827 × 1063 px |
A Moldovan passport needs no photograph from an adult applicant: the list of documents of the Public Services Agency (ASP) for a person over 18 names the identity card, invalid passports or a declaration of loss, civil status documents and, where relevant, a foreign passport or a medical certificate — and no photograph, and the consulates say it in so many words: «the person is photographed at the consulate (at the embassy). Other photographs are not necessary.» The photograph is a biometric datum — «the facial image and the fingerprint images» are stored in the electronic medium of the passport — captured in person. A printed photograph is named only for a person who is immobilised or seriously ill in a medical institution: «a recent photograph of 10 × 15 cm, colour, matte, on a white background», and when a serious facial injury or a dressing makes a new image impossible, the ASP takes the facial image from the person's profile in the State Population Register, on a medical certificate. The Milan consulate asks for two 10 × 15 cm and two 3 × 4 cm prints on a white background only for the identity card (buletin), not for the passport.
Examples and mistakes
A photo that will be accepted, next to the six most common reasons Moldova passport photos get rejected.
Typical reasons a photo is rejected under the rules Public Services Agency of the Republic of Moldova (ASP) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs publishes: what is wrong and what to change.
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| A printed photograph that is not 10 × 15 cm, not colour, not matte or not on a white background, for an immobilised or seriously ill applicant | A recent 10 × 15 cm colour matte photograph on a white background, with the medical certificate. |
| Bringing a photograph for an adult passport application — none is needed and the counter takes its own | Come in person; the photograph is taken at the counter, the consulate or the embassy. |
| For the identity card at the Milan consulate: a photograph older than six months, with shadows or reflections, head coverings or dark lenses | Recent prints on a white background, shoulders straight, even light, eyes clear without reflections. |
| A serious facial injury or a dressing without a medical certificate | The medical certificate, so that the image comes from the State Population Register. |
How to take it
Background: plain light
The tool puts in the required background. Stand half a metre from a plain light wall, face a window and shoot without flash — then there are no shadows on your face or on the wall.
Head: 70–80 % of the photo height
Camera at eye level, about a metre away; head and shoulders in the shot. The tool crops it to 35 × 45 mm.
Clear lenses only, no glare
If you wear glasses, check the shot: no glare on the lenses, eyes clearly visible.
Neutral expression, mouth closed, eyes open
Look straight into the lens with your head level; keep hair away from your eyes and eyebrows.
An ordinary selfie will do: we fix the background, light and framing ourselves — to this document's rules. The preview is free.
Head straightHold the phone at eye level and your head straightens by itself.
Face uncoveredMove your hair away so your eyes and eyebrows show.
No glare on glassesStand so that no light reflects in the lenses.Printing and submission
| 10 × 15 cm · 4 × 6″ | 8 (4 × 2) |
|---|---|
| A4 · 21 × 29.7 cm | 36 (6 × 6) |
Print at 100% scale, borderless, and turn off fit-to-page so each photo keeps its exact size.
A Moldovan passport is applied for in person at an ASP territorial office in Moldova or at a Moldovan consulate or embassy abroad, where the photograph and the fingerprints are taken.
asp.gov.md — territorial offices; the central office is at 42 Alexandr Pușkin street, Chișinău
No photograph to bring; it is taken at the counter.
Authority pageThe website of the Moldovan mission for your country
The person is photographed at the consulate; other photographs are not necessary.
Authority page| Authority | Public Services Agency of the Republic of Moldova (ASP) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
|---|---|
| Source | Moldova passport service |
| Verified |
Questions
Not as an adult: the ASP list of documents has no photograph, and the consulates say the person is photographed there and other photographs are not necessary.
For a person who is immobilised or seriously ill in a medical institution: a recent colour matte photograph on a white background, with a medical certificate.
With a medical certificate the ASP takes your facial image from your profile in the State Population Register, updated at the issue of your last identity document.
For the passport none; for the identity card (buletin) two of 10 × 15 cm and two of 3 × 4 cm, colour, matte, on a white background, not older than six months.
The recommended size for the Moldova passport photo is 35 × 45 mm. The head occupies 70–80% of the photo height.
Plain light background without textures, shadows, or foreign objects. Behind you there should be only a plain wall: no pattern, shadows or objects. Any light wall at home will do — the tool sets the exact background colour.
Most passport offices ask for a photo taken within the last six months. It should look like you today: after a new haircut or beard, take a new one.
We refund the payment in full. Email us within 14 days of purchase with your order number and the rejection notice from the Moldova authority — the refund policy page has the details.
Glasses are allowed only for people who wear them permanently, and only with clear lenses without flash glare. If you keep them on, tilt them slightly downwards by lifting the arms a little above your ears: this usually moves reflections of a window or lamp off the lenses.
35 × 45 mm = 3.5 × 4.5 cm = 1.38 × 1.77 inches. At 300 dpi that is 413 × 531 pixels; at 600 dpi, 827 × 1063 pixels.
Yes. The same 35 × 45 mm format and head size apply to: driver's license, ID card.